The Beautiful Ones
by Dragoncl
Summary: The struggle she’s seen this spring, when nothing comes dancing,paying a handsome fee, and still she smiles at me. And I can’t take it. No, I can’t help but wonder...Why do we sacrifice the beautiful ones?"


Hello! I know I should be working on updating GG, but this popped into my head during our 10 hour car ride and I needed to write it down. I don't know what it is about this fandom that makes me all philosphical. I like this one more than my last try. I suggest you listen to the song if you can. It's slow, but it's gorgeous and so sad and perfect for Chrno Crusade.

This is kind of a mix of the manga and anime, but leans more toward the manga since I finished that and only dabbled in the anime. It happens a bit before the time line.

I don't own Chrno Crusade or the song. I wish I did though. I hope you enjoy.

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Flies with a broken wing, she is ever so graceful, so like an angel,

_but I see tears flow quietly._

_The struggle she's seen this spring, when nothing comes dancing,_

_paying a handsome fee, and still she smiles at me_

_And I can't take it _

_No, I can't help but wonder..._

"**The Beautiful Ones" by Poets of the Fall**

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The dim light of the setting sun cast a fiery glow over the courtyard, tinging everything a warm orange color. A cool breeze played with the changing leaves, foretelling of the upcoming winter. Leaves detached from the branches and danced merrily on the wind, a swirl of red, orange, and browns. The sweet smell of apples from a nearby apple tree mixed with the other fresh fragrances of autumn.

Humming in content, Chrno leaned back on the trunk of one of the shedding trees. His red coat blended in with the colors of the upper branches, effectively hiding him from sight. His eyes fluttered closed as a bird flew overhead. It was so peaceful you'd almost forget that Aion could strike any day now. His brows furrowed together. Great. Now he'd never get to sleep. Sighing softly, the little demon straightened up and looked at the sky through the blanket of leaves above him.

It was days like these that reminded him of happier times, before this whole war started, when it was just him, Rosette, and Joshua. What he would give to go back to those times where he didn't have a care in the world, or a close as he could get to that after Magdalene's death. Memories from that tragic incident flashed through his mind, but he quickly squashed them down. He had other things that needed his attention right now, and reminiscing wouldn't help.

"Chrno!" The demon chuckled. _Speak of the devil_. "Chrno!" The headstrong nun must have finished her meeting with Sister Kate. By the tone of her voice, he guessed it hadn't been as bad as he thought it was going to be. "Chrno! You better not be sitting around daydreaming again." The dark-haired boy chuckled again. How well she knew him!

"Chrno!" There was twinge of panic in the girl's voice now. Frowning and berating himself for not answering her right away and causing her to worry, he leapt from the tree, deftly landing on the lush grass below.

"Over here Rosette." Blond hair whipped around and blue eyes sparkled in the dying light. A smile pulled at the nun's lips as she spotted the sealed demon and jogged over. Within arms length, she promptly bopped him on the head. He whined about how mean she was and rubbed the offended spot, smile pulling at both their lips.

"That's what you get for ignoring me," she declared, hands on her hips as she tried to take on a serious expression. She failed and a grin threatened to split her face. "What were you doing anyway? You better not have been really ignoring you."

"No one could ignore you Rosette." He grunted as she hit him again, pout on her face. He chuckled and held his hands up in surrender. "I was sitting; thinking." He pointed up into the higher branches and she looked up.

"All the way up there?" He nodded. There went his relaxing hideout. Rosette glance up again, frown on her face. When she looked back down, determination was glowing in her eyes. The demon subconsciously took a step backward in alarm. It was never good when the girl got that look. "C'mon."

"Wh...What! That's not a good idea Rosette. It's pretty high." His warning went unheeded as the girl began to scramble up the trunk, grasping the first branch. Her strong arm muscles strained with holding her weight, but she eventually swung herself up onto the branch. Memories of the time she had tried to climb a tree a pick a fruit flooded back to him. It would end well if fell from the height she was trying to reach. Sighing, Chrno jumped onto the branch she was on, lithe like a cat.

The sudden movement made the nun start however and she lost her balance. The demon was ready for this however and easily caught her and pulled her to his chest back on the branch. Without letting go of his contractor, the boy quickly jumped from branch to branch, skill not dampened by the extra weight. At the limb he had previously occupied he set her down next to the trunk and crouched farther out on the branch.

The girl glanced up, pout and retort ready on her lips. All thoughts of reprimand dissolved as she took in the colors and beams of sunlight through the leaves. Her mouth dropped open in a moment of speechlessness. Settling down on the bough, Chrno smiled. "Like it?" He was rewarded with a silent nod. It took a lot to keep the obstinate blond quite.

Leaning back against the trunk, she smiled and tilted her head to look at the sky. "It's beautiful." The demon hummed his agreement and lying himself down on the limb. A peaceful silence fell over the pair, each lost in their own thoughts. It didn't surprise Chrno that it was Rosette that broke the silence.

"Hey Chrno?" The boy showed he was listening with a wave of his hand. There was a pause and Chrno could feel her bite her lip hesitantly. "Do you know what day it is?" The question caught him off guard and he felt his heart fall before he could brace himself.

Of course he knew what day it was. He would never forget the fateful day his world took another turn. He had avoided saying anything for Rosette's sake. He had never expected her to bring it up though. Pushing himself up, he looked at the girl who looked years older than him, but was centuries his junior, a mere child to his kind. She looked the part too. Her golden hair fell into her downcast eyes, she nervously bit her lip, and twiddled her fingers as she waited for his answer. She looked like a lost child.

"Yes," was his replay, hardly more than a whisper. "It's the four-year anniversary." The nun nodded.

"Do... Do you think he's okay?" It was his turn to bite his lip. He wanted so badly to tell her 'Yes. Everything will be. We'll find him and everything will go back to normal', but he couldn't. He didn't know what Aion wanted with the boy. All he could do was hope and pray for the boy's safety.

"I don't know." He couldn't lie to her. She knew the truth as well as he did. The demon reached out a placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We will find him though. I promise." _One way or another, we will get him back. I'll make sure of it!_ A teary smile pulled at the girl's features.

With a quite sob, she flung herself at him, enveloping him in a hug. This unexpected motion caused him to loose his balance and they both tumbled to the ground. He turned in the air, forcing him under her. He hissed as his back slammed into the ground and she landed on top of him. Coughing to try and bring air back in his lungs, he rolled over and she slid off of him.

Finishing his coughing fit, he heard a light chuckle from beside him. Glancing up he say his contractor kneeling next to him, leaning over him. Her golden hair was highlighted with the setting sun and the light reflected off the trails her tears had left. A smile beamed brighter than any sun at him and he couldn't help but smile at her, even though his back screamed in pain.

Even with the burden of finding her brother on her shoulders, she still continued to be that ray of light in his life. She went through each day with a special kind of grace that hid the pain. Four years without an sign of her beloved brother, but she continued to search. He had yet to see how far her love went.

Even for him, the person she should hate the most, her kindness and care never diminished. The contract that was slowly draining her life and stealing her time, didn't stop her from smiling at him like that.

She didn't care that she was sacrificing herself to a banished demon in order to save her traitorous brother. And she was truly beautiful, in both body and soul, because of that.

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_Why do we sacrifice the beautiful ones_?

_How do you break a heart of gold?_

_Why do we sacrifice the beautiful ones?_

_Heroes of tales unsung, untold._


End file.
